March 7, 2006

One Holy Mess

The BAG meets The Onion?

No, this is legit. Two days after crediting God with instructing him to support an Iraq invasion, this image of Tony Blair turned up on the newswires. (If you missed the “God is my strategist” story, SFGate has a good summary.) (By the way, note SFG’s ridiculous photo of Blair and his former communications consultant, Alastair Campbell. Campbell is the one who, when he was consulting for Blair, said: “We don’t do God.”)

The photo in question was taken Monday at 10 Downing Street during a seminar. I’m not familiar enough with Blair’s mannerisms to tell whether this is a characteristic gesture. However, I’m guessing the photographer — having the God story in mind — must have started salivating when those hands came together.

Whether the gesture had some actual subconscious connection to Blair’s recent disclosure, who knows? On the other hand, the image certainly raises the question of why Blair would, all of a sudden, share his spiritual process with the world. With the situation in Iraq going down the tubes, is it possible Blair is feeling guilty? And if so, is he somehow looking — even toward his maker — to spread the blame?